Toms river woman pleads guilty to murder in manchester township

OCEAN COUNTY, NJ — Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced that Mary Carbone, 57, of Toms River, pleaded guilty on Monday, July 8, 2024, to charges stemming from the death of Frank Stochel in Manchester Township on February 24, 2020.

Carbone was initially indicted by a Grand Jury on October 28, 2021, on the charge of Murder in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:11-3a(1). She was also indicted on three counts of Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:39-4d, three counts of Unlawful Possession of a Weapon in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:39-5d, and Tampering with Physical Evidence in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:28-6(1).

On February 24, 2020, Manchester Township Police responded to a residence on 6th Avenue in the Pine Lake Park section for a report of an unresponsive male. Upon arrival, officers found the lifeless body of Mr. Stochel lying on the floor of the residence. A post-mortem examination conducted by the Ocean County Medical Examiner on February 25, 2020, ruled the manner of death to be a homicide.

The investigation by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit, Manchester Township Police Detective Bureau, and Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit revealed that Carbone and Stochel both resided at the 6th Avenue residence. Several household items, including a wooden board, a heavy-duty tape dispenser, and a shower curtain rod, were used by Carbone in the commission of the homicide. The injuries sustained by Mr. Stochel were consistent with the use of these items. Further investigation determined that Carbone was responsible for Mr. Stochel’s death.

Carbone was arrested and charged on March 4, 2021, and has been held in the Ocean County Jail since that date.

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